Hydraulic press



gmund' INVENTOR. mat.

Oct. 28, 1958 G. B. SIEGMUND HYDRAULIC PRESS Fild Aug. 17, lss

0 Q w .l v 4 2 I I 8 mm O44 P\ N V4 N/ A V, w I I. .0 7 2 4 x 2 w a 0 II II! 1k] d 4 1 iii 2 I m 8/ CI 6 m O I] III lllllllllll a 4 6 m 8 2 J IFIIII. l T E o I 9 I 2 6 7 6 5 2 a .5 m. 0 8 9 4 0 0 9 6 7 4 7 k-\ 0 w 6 4 m w a United States Patent HYDRAULIC PRESS Gerhard Bernhard Siegmund, Frankfurt am Main, Germany, assignor of one-third to Arthur V. Jackson and one-third to Milton M. Sperber, both of Dayton, Ohio Application August 17, 1956, Serial No. 604,841

4 Claims. (Cl. 103-249) This invention relates to a pressure generator for a hydraulic press and to the combination of a hydraulic press with such a generator.

An object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulic press arranged to use fluid under pressure that is forced into an expansible chamber thereof, the fluid being sucked from a store of such fluid, decomposed, and forced into the expansible chamber by ignition of the products of decomposition, the latter causing an expansion in a confined volume so that the non-decomposed fluid forms a column of fluid that is moved at least in part into the expansible chamber.

In considering the nature and substance of the invention, it is to be understood that one or more pressure generators may be arranged for combined use, when a plurality of pressure generators are used, the speed and versatility of the system is increased. A typical such pressure generator consists of one or a number of cylinders, each having electrodes and igniting devices together with a check valve admitting fluid, as water, into the cylinder and an outlet through which the water is dischargeable. The water is electrolytically decomposed by means of the electrodes that are preferably fed with a direct current. The resulting mixture of hydrogen and oxygen is ignited by means of a glow or spark plug, and

"the resulting reaction is a type of explosion that produces pressure which is transmitted to the expansible chamber through a column of water. This column of water is passed at least in part, through a check valve arranged at the entrance of the expansion chamber.

After the reaction has been performed, the water vapor which has been formed in the process, cools and condenses in the pressure cylinder. Cooling fins or other known expedients for extracting heat, assist in the condensing step in order to produce a vacuum in the cylinder. This draws additional water from the store into the cylinder for subsequent power strokes as described above.

Accordingly, a further object of the invention is to provide a mechanically simplified device for decomposing water, igniting the products of decomposition in order to form an expansion that is directed against a column of water, pushing at least a part of it under considerable pressure into an expansible chamber so as to operate a press, and lift an elevator or actuate a machine.

A further object of the invention-is to provide an electrode assembly used in conjunction with a .system described herein, the assembly of the electrodes being such as to present a large surface area to the water in order that the decomposition of the water may be achieved rapidly.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being bad to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, andin which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view of the hydraulic press pressure generator and means for timing the decomposition of the water with the igniting of the products of decomposition; and

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of a press that has been constructed in accordance with the principles of the invention. 6

Reference is first made. to Figure 2 where there is a store 10 consisting of a tank containing a supply of fluid, water being the chief fluid with which the press is operable. An expansible chamber 12 constitutes a part of the hydraulic press and is formed by a cylinder having a side wall 14 together with an end wall 16. Piston 18 is mounted for reciprocation in the cylinder and includes a head 20 together with a piston rod 22 that is attracted to it. Piston rod 22 is adapted to be connected to any load or utilization device for the force transmittedby the piston rods. Chamber 12 has a water inlet 24 formed in the end wall 16, and water conductor 26 is in registry with it. Check valve 28 is used to control the passage of water into and from the expansible chamber 12. This check valve may be selected from a number of commercially available valves or may be specially constructed. An example of such a valve is ball 30 resting on seat 32 formed in inlet 24, together with cage 34 fastened to wall 16 and restricting the travel of the ball.

The opposite end of water conductor 26 is in registry with the interior of cylinder 40 by being fastened in outlet port 42 thereof. This outlet port is formed in the side wall of the cylinder between the upper and lower ends thereof. The lower end of cylinder 40 is open as at 44 and is located in store 10, being submersed in the liquid contained in the store. As an alternative the lower end of cylinder 40 may be closed but provided with an inlet pipe, either flexible or rigid, which is in the liquid store 10. A transverse partition 46 is fixed in cylinder 40 between the upper and lower ends thereof and is provided with passage 48 whose upper surface is beveled to form valve seat 50. Valve seat 50 constitutes a part of a check valve 52, the remainder of the valve being formed by a ball 54 that is held captive in cage 56, the latter restricting the travel of the ball as in the case of check valve 28. Check valve 52 is arranged to permit water to be drawn from the store 10 but prevents the passage of water from the working chamber 58' of cylinder 40 into the store 10.

A pair of electrodes 60 are operatively connected to cylinder 40 and they preferably consist of two tubes 62 and 64 that are concentrically arranged with each other. The common axis of the tubes is arranged at an angle to the longitudinal axis of cylinder 40, these tubes being arranged with their outer ends downwardly. Tube 62 is fixed in an opening 66 formed in the side wall of cylinder 40 so that the interior of the tube 62 is in registry with the interior of the cylinder 40. Flange 68 is on the outer extremity of the tube 62 in order to accommodate the bolts 70 which lock plate 72 in assembly therewith. The inner electrode 64 has a base plate 76 which seats upon gasket 78, gasket 80 being on the opposite surface of base plate 76. When the gaskets and inner electrode are assembled in the outer tube 62, bolts 70 are drawn down tightly to compress the gaskets on flange 68, plate 72 and plate 76 to thereby seal the outer ends of the electrodes. A bindingpost 82 protrudes from plate 76 and has a wire 84 connected to it. Wire 86 is connected to one of the bolts 70.

An ignition device, for example glow or spark plug 90 is threaded in the cylinder head 92. This cylinder head has fins 94 on it so as to facilitate the withdrawal of heat from the expanded products of combustion in Patented Oct. 28, 1958 thecperation of the pressure generator as will be,sub-

sequently described. Wire 96 is connected to the plug 90.

A direct current power -supply is operatively connected with .the' pressure. generatorof the hydraulic press, .-.Such. .a power supply is schematically represented-inasmuch as it may be one. of' several. types of power supplies. A D. C. network maybe used.. A transformer together with. a rectifier .may also be, used asthe: source of D.. C. energy. Should sufficiently. powerful storage batteries become available, they too may. be:.utilized as the D. C. source of electrical energy. Imany case a switch 98 is applied in one of the lines in order to have manual. control over the system for starting and stopping it. One side of the line is connectedz to bolt 70-that is in electrical continuity with the ,cylinder 40,; outer .electrode 62 and shell of the plug;.90i ,The otherside of the line is connected to the inner electrode 64 sothat. when switch 98 is closed a potential difference exists between the. electrodes causing thedecomposition .of the water in the region of the electrods. However, at the same timethe switch 98 is closed, electric motor 100 is energized thereby actuating; means for timing the energization of plug 90 and thereby timing the, igniting-of the products of decomposition. The timing means for energizing plug 90 at theproper intervals with respect to the decomposition of; the water are schematically represented in Figure 1, and include a friction clutch 102 together with a switch 104. v Switch 104 is used to ground the plug through frame 105. The friction clutch 102 consists of a disk 106:,driven by motor shaft 108 and contacted by the periphery of-;disk 110. The latter disk is secured to spindlej 112 having switch arm 114- thereon, the latter being adapted to make contact with the resilient Contact 116which is carried by support 118. This support is used. for adjusting the friction clutch 102 and also for supporting the brush 120 that is in contact with an end of the spindle 112 having an electrical conductor arranged in the electrical continuity with the switch arm 114'. By rotating screw 122 that is threaded in the substantially U-shaped frame 105 and threaded in the support 118, the support may be raised and lowered in order to adjust the position of friction disk 110 with respecLto the friction disk 106 in order to adjust the speed of the spindle. Guide 126 is connected to frame 105.;andis passed through an opening in support 118. .The operation is as follows: The water lever WL incylinder 40 is above the electrodes 60, the cylinder being printed to this height. Switch 98 is closed thereby energizing the motor 100 and the electrodes 60. While themotor-is rotating the clutch elements 102 that have been;. adjusted in accordance with the most eflicient timingsetting, the current flows from one electrode to the other, passingthrough the water that is located therebetween. The mixture of hydrogen and oxygen that constitutes the products ofdecomposition collects in the air space above the water level WL. The duration of electrolysis prior to ignition is controlled by adjusting the clutch 102 in the manner described previously. If thevoltage of the direct current is constant the quantity of oxygen and hydrogen mixture produced is directly proportional to the time during which the electrolysis procedure takes place. If this. time is lengthened. the maximum-pressure which occurs at the explosion of the mixture isproportionally increased, if higher pressures are believed tobe necessary. The. end of the electrolysis is fixed byinterrupting the current to the electrodes. This is achievedjby having .a switch. arm 151 similar to switch, arm114 in the timing means and by. having a normally closed switch 150 in conductor 84. The switch arm- 151' opens switch 150v momentarily just. prior to the closing of the spark plug circuit, and soon after firing, switcharm 151 separates from switch 150- .per m'itting; it to return to, its normally closed position.

After the electrolysis has been terminated the timing device has moved to such position that the switch arm 114 is connected with the contact 116 in order to cause the plug to be energized. The explosion heat is produced by the burning of the products of decomposition, and at the explosion, water vapors are formed from the hydrogen and oxygen gas which is much overheated by virtue of the heat liberated during the explosion. This produces an increased pressure in the cylinder that is applied to the water column in cylinder 40. This pressure on the water column forces at least part of the column of water through pipe 26, and check valve 28 into the expansible chamber 12. This moves piston 20- so that useful work may be obtained from the piston rod 22. In order to vent expansible chamber 12 and permit it to contract, an outlet port 130 is formed in the wall 16 of expansible chamber 12. A pipe line 132 extends from port 130 and is controlled by a manual valve 134.

No heat is transmitted to the vapor in the cylinder 40 after the reaction of the vapor or steam has expanded. Cooling takes place by contraction and by conducting the heat from the cylinder head and cylinder adjacent to the head. By virtue of this cooling a vacuum is formed in the pressure cylinder 40 which is compensated by the flow of additional water from store 10 through check valve 52 and into the chamber 40. After cooling and filling of the pressure cylinder in this way, the timing device again has progressed to again energize the electrodes andthe first stage of the cycle commences again.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A pump comprising a cylinder having an inlet, a check valve in registry with said inlet and through which water is drawn into said cylinder, a fluid conductor in registry with the interiorof said cylinder on the downstream side of said check valve, a pocket in which to receive water, said pocket having a wall which constitutes an electrode, a second electrode adjacent to said wall, said cylinder having an opening in which said wall is registered to present some of the water to the surfaces of said electrodes for decomposition, an ignition device in registry with said cylinder, an electric.circuitconnected to said electrodes for energizing said electrodes and said ignition device, timing means in a part ofsaid circuit for timing the energization of said ignition device so that after decomposition said ignition device is operative to initiate the reaction of the products of. decomposition, and means connected with said cylinder to withdraw heat therefrom in order to at least partially facilitate the production of a subatmospheric pressure condition in said cylinder and thereby withdraw water through said inlet and check valve and into said cylinder.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said timing means include an electric motor. in said circuit and continually energized thereby, a switch in said circuit to control. the energization of said ignition device, and mechanical means actuated by said motor for intermittently. operating said switch to interrupt the energization of said ignition device.

3. The subjectmatter of claim- 1 wherein said electrodes include a pair of tubes. thatv are concentrically arranged with the walls thereof spaced fro-m each other, and at: least. one. electrical terminal on one tube which is connected insaid. circuit.

4..-A;pump comprising a cylinderhaving .an inlet, a check valve in registry 'Withsaid inlet and through which water is drawn into said cylinder, at fluid conductor in registry with the interior of said cylinder on the downstream side of said check valve, a pocket in which to receive water, said pocket having a wall which constitutes an electrode, a second electrode adjacent to said wall, said cylinder having an opening in which said wall is registered to present some of the water to the surfaces of said electrodes for decomposition, an ignition device in registry with said cylinder, an electric circuit connected to said electrodes for energizing said electrodes and said ignition device, timing means in a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 779,499 Rice Jan. 10, 1905 1,626,070 Bond et a1. Apr. 26, 1927 1,916,235 Ruben July 4, 1933 2,241,620 Shoeld May 13, 1941 

